The ordinary-sized words are for everyone, but the big ones are especially for children.

Thursday, 20 February 2014

The experts: a rant.

This is Harry Ritchie in the Guardian newspaper of 4th March 2014:"The modern study of language has shown that all native speakers are experts in their language."Really? Experts?There's no one anywhere who's ever tongue-tied, then?No one forced to express themselves by violence, or tears, or jumping up and down and punching the air because they're bursting with some emotion they can't express in words?No one ever left groping for exactly the expression that'll show sympathy without seeming to be insincere, or disapproval without seeming to hate; no one taken in by, or found out in, a lie; no one ever had a joke fall flat.No one ever had a word stuck on the tip of their tongue, or left groping for a word more formal than stuff.No one ever felt the need to expand their vocabulary.No one......but you get the idea.Experts?Well, I'll tell you something: I wish I were one.Word To Use Today: study. This word comes from the French estudie, from the Latin studium, zeal or inclination, from studē